Feeding your Anatolian
There are a lot of diets and prepared foods available on the market, with pet food companies spending millions of dollars to sell you a product with their specialty.
Some are grain free, some are made from all natural ingredients, some are wet, cooked and some are dry etc., the best advice I can give you, is try to start your puppy on the best food you can afford for the first 24 mths at least.
The dogs are a large breed and their weight quickly rises as the months pass, some dogs are already over 30kg by the time they are 6mths, so its important to keep the food requirements adequate to this weight gain and growth stages.
Unless you have the knowledge and experience, its not recommended preparing diets of all raw food stuffs and adding vitamins and minerals as it’s a complex ratio and inexperience can bring about some side effects if the balance is not right, this is why the prepared diets are good because they have this all correct to avoid dietary imbalance.
I personally feed Proplan Large Dog Puppy or Advantage with fresh chicken mince for the first 24 mths.
This would also include eggs, some can food and some pre cooked foods.
Always check in with your vet with the diet you have chosen appropriate and that you are feeding the right amounts more importantly
Anatolians are not regular feeders, some days they leave their food and some days they eat everything, I always make sure they have dry food available for when they do get hungry. They also drink {and try in bath in !!}a lot of water so have plenty of buckets around that are secured so they don’t tip over the container or better still concrete troughs work well, they become a little green however the dogs don’t mind.
Care and Responsibities
As with all dogs its firstly important you vaccinate and worm your dog and if anything is in doubt or a concern, don’t leave it, contact your vet for advice.
Dogs, especially pups can have what seems to be minor trauma, that later can develop into irreversible consequences. This is particularly true for joint and bone injuries, so know your dog, how they move, their habits etc so you can learn to see any changes, remember its piece of mind and smarter to ask the expert and not wait and see or talk to friends.
INSURANCE OR NOT…
There are now available a wide range of pet insurance that covers everything or is limited to what people can afford.
I always cover my pup for the first 12 mths for everything ( full cover is like comprehensive car cover) being young and on a farm they are exposed a lot of unexpected possibilities that could cause injury so I think it’s a good choice given my circumstances. You may have a more controlled environment and feel that it’s not necessary but remember anything broken or requiring stitches can remove lots of dollars from your purse so make sure you can afford a dog because being responsible means covering the costs.
Anatolians don’t require a lot of grooming throughout the year, however they do have major moult times and a good wire brush helps to move the coat a little quicker and they usually love brush time, works to build to bond at the same time!
Keep your dog safe and have a secure yard or train the dog to be on a run or in a pen, this means starting when they are young, so they become accustomed to being restrained.
Anatolian come alive at night and can develop habits such as barking at silly things when they are young, I always pen or tie my dogs up in a peaceful place with minimal things to stimulate them visually, this way they settle and enjoy a nightly rest.
Exercise in the late afternoon is helpful to settle them at night and it’s a time they prefer especially in the summer months.
Persistent attention to teaching them to behave it necessary with an independent strong-minded dog, the rewards for a dog that starts to mature at 3years, pays off to a well-adjusted pet
Some dogs are stronger in the mind than others and the trait is probably suited to a dog that is required to work, left out in the open for long hours on their own making decisions and surviving on the lowest level this trait would be an asset.
So if they are not working then its your job to teach him to understand how to adapt to your life and this means to behave, be social and accepting of your family.
Some Anatolians start of being quite friendly to other dogs and animals but as they mature they can change as their natural instincts develop, and can become dog aggressive. Good training at a young age, securing you as the leader, will put you in good stead to deal with this behavior should it develop.
Don’t think that just exposing them to a lot of dogs is the answer or preventing them from socializing with other dogs, its far more complex than this.
If you notice behavior changes seek advice from a local dog training club or contact a registered club listed on the VicDog website.
There are also personal trainers available to assist people with training and behavior modification, the web is probably your best resource for this.